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Thread: What is your plinking and hunting loads in your 45 Colt rifles?

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
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    My brother swears by 777 behind the Lee RFN in his '73.

    Mine is a single shot break over.
    I like a full case of FFFg behind a bore rider hollow base or smokeless behind this bore rider from Accurate that is designed to maximize the remaining powder space.
    http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_deta...=45-380C-D.png

  2. #22
    Boolit Master



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    Just remember the parameters that the 45C was designed so I have been told "It was to be powerful enough to shoot through the horse and kill the Indian hiding on the other side" if this is true the standard 255 grain round nose flat point bullet was more than enough.My own experience with the 45C it has dropped everything in its tracks that I have shot with it up to deer size animals.Remember that bullet placement is most important and I use A Rossi 92 with a 24 inch barrel just a wonderful gun for my hunting uses.
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  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy
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    My favorite load in any of my 45Colt rifles is 6.0 grains of RedDot behind a 225 TC... (RCBS 45-225-CAV). I also like a 200grain RFN in front of the same charge. That's in a Uberti 1860, an 1873 Sporting Rifle, an 1873 Short Rifle, an 1885, a Rossi 1892 Short Rifle and a custom Marlin 1984 Cowboy w/17" octagon barrel.

    I just dropped it down from my previous 6.5 grains... May drop it further as the Lyman 4th Ed Cast bullet Handbook lists 5.6 grains as their accuracy load for both 200 & 230 grain cast. I've loaded Trail Boss, Unique, 700X, TiteGroup and LOTS of Goex behind this bullet... I've shot thousands of rounds of this bullet in front of BP, and it seems to do the best of any powder.
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  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy
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    Marlin 24" with Lee 255, homemade loob and unique. Killed a bunch of axis and wtd with it. One turkey at 85 yards. Clays at 110 yards are easy. It appears more powerful in use than the recipe suggests.

    1Papalote

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    I use the Lee 255RFN lubed with SPG over 8.2gr of Universal. This is the minimum load that will obturate the cases to prevent blow-by. Very accurate through my 24" 1894 Winchester Trails End Legacy. It's killed deer, pigs and a few armadillos. No bullets recovered yet. Chrono's just over 1,100fps. My best friend uses it in his Taurus Thunderbolt also. Bullet hitting armadillo is louder than muzzle blast!

    My next batch, I intend to use LongShot as I'm out of Universal. I've been Using LongShot from my S&W 625 MG and RCBS 270. I doubt the Winny will feed the 270.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    My shooting buddy has me cast him 200gr lee flat nose sized to 453, powder coated, and loaded behind 9 grains of winchester 572. He shoots those in a henry and ruger blackhawk.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master superior's Avatar
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    In the 7.5 BH and Rossi M92, I plink and small game hunt with 5.7 gr. WST under the Lee 452-255-rf. For bigger stuff, its 21gr. H110 behind the 300 lee w/ gc.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master

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    20 grains of 2400 under a 260 gr SWC put down a warthog, an impala, and a Gemsbok for me in Africa in 2012. Gemsbok was the longest tracking job. It went 65 yards. I have shot numerous hogs and deer and antelope with this load too. Works great in my Blackhawk and my win 94 trapper. For plinking and such, I like 6.5 grains of Red dot under just about any 45 caliber bullet, including the LEE 300 grainer.
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  9. #29
    Boolit Master


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    Timely query.

    My gunsmith is completing conversion of my stainless steel Rossi 92 454 Casull to 45 Colt (24-inch octagon barrel, stock built from blank, et al.) that I will have Freedom Arms Model 97 45 Colt and Rossi using the same ammunition. And with the FA 97, the universal handload (so far only used in the revolver) Winchester brass, Saeco 454 300-grain SWC-GC, 21.92 grains H110, CCI Magnum Large Pistol primers.

    My purpose for this absurd investment is to create ammunition that will be safe and usable in my revolver while being a reasonable load for elk in my thickly forested hunting area from the rifle. I chose the 454 Rossi because I was certain the revolver would be satisfactory for thousands of shots, but not so confident that a 45 Colt Rossi or any other traditional lever rifle would hold up. The 454 kind've removes that worry. So I wind up with a 45 Colt load that masquerades as a heavy 44 Magnum load. I've got the fixin's for 11,000 shots. I figure I'm good for a while.
    ***
    FYI: Anyone who tries this load must remember that overall cartridge length is 1.600 ± .004 inches. Cartridges will fit Colt SAA revolvers and clones. This handload will destroy such revolvers and will probably badly injure the shooter.
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  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    This comes at a time when I'm seriously considering picking up a new Marlin CB in 45 Colt. Currently I have a Rossi R92 and the chamber on it is a bit generous and the cases swell when I load the hotter loads so I only shoot the standard 8.5grs of Unique under a 255gr SWC. My prefered load for my Blackhawks and Bisley is 20.5grs of H110, under a 315gr Lee, and a mag primer.

  11. #31
    Boolit Mold
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    250 grain SNS Casting RNFP, .452 diameter. With 8 grains of Unigue. Give me about 1056 f/s our of my Henry rifle. 16 to 17 Bn. 9/6/2 alloy. No leading problem and a joy to shoot. Offhand and off the bench shooting.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master

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    I shoot an Uberti 1860 Henry. 8.0 Unique under the Lee 452-255-RF is my most go to load. With the ladder site down, I have dead on elevation at 75yds and using the ladder can hit steel pigs at 200yds all day.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    I am reading this with interest. I just picked up my new to me uberti/Colt/burgess 20". I have only shot cowboy loads on my first outing to check the sights and feed of the Lee 200 FP and 4.8 grains 700x. Wonderful plinking load with minimal recoil, perfect for fast cowboy shooting. I have checked functioning of Lyman's 454190 and 454424 and even the kieth bullet doesn't hang up and feeds smooth. I will not going higher than Colt SAA pressure loads as I have many Colt SAAs, but a 250-260 grain bullet out of the rifle at 1150-1200 FPS will plink steel at 200 yards and drop any animal that roams and lives in So.Indiana-KY area.

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
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    .

    FWIW, the latest issue of HANDLOADER Magazine has a timely article on loading for the Uberti Model 1873 in .45 Colt.

    https://www.riflemagazine.com/home/i...TOKEN=86517927




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  15. #35
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    9.0gr Herco under the 454190 is a great standard 45 Colt load fit for a 1st Gen Colt or Italian clones.

    I also use 45 Schofield brass and some of the 250gr LBT WFN boolits for plinking.

    Hunting loads are the Lee C452-300-RF cast in 50/50+2% alloy over 22.0gr H110

    And the 250gr LBT OWC over 21gr H110 in 45 Schofield brass for the medium framed Rugers, this load is still under 23,000psi and runs out of a 5 1/2" barrel at 1200fps. WAY less recoil than the 300gr RF boolit, this is my current thin skinned game load.
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  16. #36
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by pietro View Post
    .

    FWIW, the latest issue of HANDLOADER Magazine has a timely article on loading for the Uberti Model 1873 in .45 Colt.

    https://www.riflemagazine.com/home/i...TOKEN=86517927




    .
    I just picked up that issue yesterday and am looking forward to reading that article.
    I recently purchased a Cimarron 1873 in .45Colt with an octagon barrel and need to find a starting point for handloading for it, if my standard .45Colt handload (8.0gr of Unique over a 255gr LSWC) doesn't work in it.

  17. #37
    In Remembrance w30wcf's Avatar
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    Either Lee 225rNFP or 255 RNFP over 6 grs of Titegroup. Either shoot 1 1 /2" groups at 50.

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  18. #38
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    well let me tell you what I do as I own two rossi 92's 45 colt both 16in barrels one has large loop the other is regular loop and I also own two heritage big bore revolvers in 45 colt with 4 3/4in barrels and I just love these guns! now here's what I do for my two revolvers and both rifles, I cast out of a old lyman single cavity part# 454 190 and these drop around .460 so lube these in lee alox this is the first step then I use a lee sizer in .457 yes guys .457 and I use wheelweights forgot to mention this but on to the method I use and works! so I size these at like I said .457dia and then I relube these again with the lee alox and I put these base down on wax paper to dry, then after they dry, I take baby powder and dust these so they won't attract dirt so bad to the lube. then I flare the case mouth so bullets don't get shaved when being pressed into the case! I load these with 6.8grs greendot powder and put a crimp using the lee optional collet die! so these shoot super tight groups in both rifles and pistols with zero leading!! the accuracy is awesome! plus I also load a ruger only load I only shoot these in the two rossi rifles, and this load is using the sierra 300gr jsp with 20.8gr h110 and the two rifles love this load its serious and is super accurate and cycles in both carbines just fine! but warning do not use this load in the heritage big bore or any colt or colt clone revolvers as it will grenade them! but I do shoot this ruger only load in the two rossi 92's and they handle it just fine! these loads work great and if you need anymore questions feel free to pm me!
    Last edited by leveraction 45 colt; 05-19-2017 at 03:46 PM.

  19. #39
    In Remembrance



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    In My Rossi M92 .45 Colt I prefer my load using a .454-280 LBT LFN GC boolit under 10 grains of Unique. I cast from 50-50 wheel weight alloy and pure lead then water-drop quench them. Size to .454 and lube with LBT Blue. Easy 3" groups at 100 yards and pure feral hog murder at any distance I can hit them. LBT LFN boolits are the absolute best hunting boolits for the serious cast-boolit reloader. The Rossi M92 id the perfect platform for the .45 Colt cartridge.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check